Another Life to Live
by Windblown.child
Summary: The Dark Curse was never enacted and the world turned inevitably forward. As time passed, magic bled out of the world, leaving Rumpelstiltskin to scour the land for his son. What he finds instead, shakes him to his very core.
1. A Long Forgotten Past

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

A Long Forgotten Past

The young woman tucked her thin cotton nighty closer around her knees and struggled not to sob. She felt like she was being crushed by the very air around her and held her breath. It was one of the few things she could still control in her miserable life, not that it would change her situation. When stars danced before the brunette's eyes in the dark, she gasped in great lungfuls of air and moaned pitifully as the cold sapped even more heat from her body.

It fortunately wasn't so cold that she had to worry about freezing to death, but summer was definitely on the wane. The young woman let her teeth chatter merely to pass the time but clenched her jaw tightly shut the moment she heard movement. As stubborn as she was, the brunette was not about to let anyone know that she was entirely miserable and feigned a deep sleep.

* * *

The shadows rippled slightly when he appeared, long adept at remaining unnoticed. Carefully, the cloaked man observed the new place he arrived in, slightly confused to be alone. For as long as he cared to remember, he always appeared in busy places, searching through crowds for one face he would never forget. Something else must have brought him to the meticulously manicured lawns and the stranger studied the grounds.

An enormous manor house had only one light shining on the ground floor but he knew that was not where he was needed. Something tickled at the nape of his neck, a feeling that may have once been familiar, but after so many centuries it might only have been the wind. And then he saw the tiny structure huddled close to the bushes, only large enough to be a doghouse. Curiosity drew the shadow closer to the little shelter until he could look in the opening in the wall.

Instead of a guard dog, he saw a young woman wedged into the space, shivering against the first hints of fall. All he could do was stare at the form, clad only in a thin yellow nightgown as she cried. Something long buried in his heart unfurled and the hidden man wondered why she was there. If she was running from something, surely the people in the house would have given her shelter. And if she was hiding from them, the woods beyond the lawn would be a far better choice.

Part of him wanted to reach out to the shivering woman, but it had been centuries since he had made contact with anyone and he didn't know what to do. As he watched, some small sound must have escaped him and the brunette froze before trying to appear asleep. When she forced herself to relax, light from the house caught on bright metal around her neck and a heartbeat later the shadowy form realized what it was.

A cruel steel collar rested against her pale skin and he felt suffocated by the sudden realization that someone had tied her up like a dog and left her in the cold. Memories of bending to kiss a soldier's boot escaped the mental prison he had created and threatened to strangle him. So the shadowy form did the only thing he could do, and vanished.

* * *

The careful cell he had created for his past crumbled, pouring every hated memory and despicable act back into his life and he was at a loss for how to contain it. He didn't want to remember the names of the people he had hurt, couldn't stand to see their faces in his mind's eye. But the harder he tried to force the memories away, the stronger they became until he gave in. Drifting in the spaces between existence, Rumpelstiltskin remembered everything.

It could have been hours or years in the void when he finally emerged to continue the search for his son. Finding Bae was the reason he still walked the world, the only way to redeem himself for all the evil he had caused. Only then could he rest. Unexpectedly, a sound intruded on his cogitations, making him jump. A voice seemed to whisper directly into his ear where he was concealed in shadows.

"Rumpelstiltskin."

Before the shock of being called upon after so many centuries could fade, the Dark One passed through nothingness, lead by the simple plea and found himself sitting in the branches of an old oak tree. Below him, the same young woman sat with a small girl, reading aloud from a book. A moment of shifting silently in the foliage and he could finally make out her quiet words.

"Rumpelstiltskin made a flourish with his hands and a purple mist swirled around the princess. When she opened her eyes, everything she had ever known was gone and her new home awaited."

The brunette closed the book softly despite the story not being finished and the child objected. "But what happens next? Why did that evil Rumpelstilts take her?"

"I don't think he's really evil, Emma, and you'll just have to wait and see. It's almost time for lunch."

The girl groaned at being denied answers but got to her feet without further argument. She brushed off her simple uniform and skipped towards the house, leaving the older woman in the shade of the tree. When the child was out of earshot, the brunette sighed and stared hard at the book in her lap.

"When are you going to rescue me, Rumpelstiltskin?" Finally the young woman got up and followed her reading companion to the house for lunch, leaving the man hidden in shadows alone.

Rumpelstiltskin's heart was beating so fast he thought it would fall right out of his chest. He hadn't heard his name in centuries as technology had gradually replaced magic in the world until no one called upon him. No one even remembered he existed, only this girl who had found his story in a book and wished for her rescue. Except it had been so long since he had made a deal, it no longer came naturally. Magic had no place in the world as people turned increasingly to money to solve all of their problems. If not for the nature of his curse, he might have winked out of existence when he was forgotten.

This was no longer the enchanted forest, the young woman was no princess, and he could do nothing for her. Mind made up, Rumpelstiltskin stepped back into the shadows and resumed his search for his son.


	2. Unwilling Savior

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

Unwilling Savior

Baelfire was not in Singapore, or Melbourne, or Denver, but that didn't discourage the immortal. He knew that he would be reunited with his son someday and until then, he would look into every face in the world. Rumpelstiltskin vanished, appearing instantaneously in São Paulo to begin again. He refused to think about the brunette that knew his name and his story, yet had called to him. No good ever came of making deals.

"Help me, Rumpelstiltskin!"

If remaining unseen hadn't been so ingrained in his person, the sudden wave of desperation that threatened to drown him would have revealed him. As it was, he staggered and braced himself on his staff to remain standing. Long ago when he had been called the Dark One, he would have answered her wishes the moment he found her leashed outside. But now, he was only a coward again and as such, he couldn't rescue anyone.

His willpower quickly crumbled to curiosity as to why the girl was so desperate and as soon as he relented, he was at her side. She lay on her stomach in bed, only the yellow nightgown covering her thin frame, but she didn't look comfortable. Her face was buried in her pillow and hidden in shadow, he realized she was sobbing again. Homesick, he assumed, trying to put his mind at ease so he could search for his son in peace.

Satisfied that she was simply over reacting, he moved to leave the darkened room when she shifted on the bed. The brunette's nightgown slid up a few inches to reveal the source of her tears. From the backs of her knees upwards, every inch of flesh was covered in angry red welts. His shriveled heart went out to the young woman laying on the bed, but he had been a coward hiding in the darkness for too long.

As he stood silently in the small room, the young woman's tears eased and she finally turned her face away from the pillow. Time seemed to freeze as she pushed the wild hair from her face. Rumpelstiltskin thought the world must be trying to play some cruel joke on him as reality slipped.

"Belle."

The whisper sounded like a thunderclap in the silent room but he couldn't bring himself to drag his eyes away from the brunette. There was no logical way that she could be there before him, and yet his heart screamed that it was the truth. He found himself wishing that she would speak but also terrified that it would prove her false.

"Hello? Where are you?"

Her familiar accent washed over him like a honeyed caress, seeming to lift the centuries from his shoulders. For one lovely moment, Rumpelstiltskin thought he was back in the Dark Castle, listening to Belle read from a book while he spun.

"Who are you?" The young woman looked around the darkened room but couldn't make out the source of the whispered word.

Rumpelstiltskin raised his hand without thinking and sent his magic to caress her skin, healing the cane marks and she gasped. He couldn't remember the last time he helped someone without negotiating first, but he would gladly pay the price for her comfort. His Belle, the only woman to ever look upon him without fear or loathing. But the imp shook his head sharply. Belle died many hundreds of years ago and no magic could ever bring back the dead.

The young woman moved to sit on the edge of the bed, eyes still searching the shadows for her hero. "Thank you."

He had to bite his tongue not to reach out and touch her soft curls and the heartfelt thanks seemed to wrap his heart in steel bands. Once upon a time, his Belle had thanked him as well, but he knew she was gone and couldn't bring himself to replace her with another. Rumpelstiltskin took one last look at the young woman so like his lost love and passed through shadow again.

* * *

The spinner knew that the young woman was not his Belle, but he could not force her away from his thoughts. As Rumpelstiltskin searched for his son, his memories would echo with her laughter and he could feel the phantom weight of catching her in his arms. There was no respite from his own mind, even half way around the world. Finally, the sorcerer relented and returned to the young woman's side.

The brunette passed close enough to brush her long skirt against his legs as she carried a tray of tea things to a small table and began serving a swarthy looking man. As the young woman finished pouring the man's tea and turned towards her own chair with the remaining cup, the man grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her into his lap. Startled and unwilling to be manhandled, she gasped and dropped the teacup to the floor. Rumpelstiltskin hardly had a chance to stop the man when he backhanded the brunette, sending her to her knees.

"You stupid bitch." He rose to his feet and towered over the prone woman. "You're good for nothing."

"It's only chipped." The brunette tried to hold up the cup but the man slapped her again.

Tears stinging her eyes, she kept her face turned away as he caressed his groin. "Maybe I should show you what you're going to get for the rest of your life, whore."

Rumpelstiltskin clenched his fists and hissed dangerously from the shadows. He knew what the man was going to do to Belle and the Dark One wouldn't allow it. Before the much bigger man could lower the zipper on his trousers, his face went blank and he clutched at his heart. Interrupted in his punishment, the man collapsed dead on top of the brunette, who screamed in fear.

Several people rushed into the room upon hearing the commotion and Rumpelstiltskin faded away, sure that Belle was safe again. But for how long, he did not know. There was something about the place that seemed wrong.


	3. Invisible Friend

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

Invisible Friend

She lay in bed long after the lights had been shut off. The pain in her jaw had subsided, but she couldn't seem to turn off her brain. So many things rushed through her mind, each more confusing than the last. The brunette knew what the man was going to do, and it could hardly have been a coincidence that he died right then. A feeling of being watched crept up the young woman's spine and she sat up, peering into the shadows.

Knowing that she was not alone, she was unafraid and called out. "Hello? I know you're there."

No answer came and she tried again, still searching the dark corners of her sparse room. "Why did you do it, kill that man?"

"Was it because he was going to hurt me?" Still no response.

The young woman couldn't know that she was looking straight at the hidden imp when she stopped and whispered his name to the shadows but it felt like she reached out and touched his heart. "Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Yes?" His voice sounded tiny and powerless to his own ears but a brilliant smile bloomed across his Belle's face.

"Why do you always hide in the shadows?" The brunette turned her head trying to locate where he stood.

"So not to frighten you."

"But you don't frighten me." Belle slid off her bed and moved towards his voice.

Rumpelstiltskin leaned close to the brunette to whisper ominously in her ear. "I'm a monster."

He was equally disappointed and delighted when she didn't jump. "Of course you aren't." She sounded entirely sure of the truth.

"I know what I am." The imp could feel his old self coming back again, all lilting giggles and flamboyant gestures despite his persistent limp.

"Well, I disagree." Sensing that the invisible man had moved away again, the brunette followed.

"And do you know many monsters, dearie?"

Instantly her mind went back to the beastly man who had bruised her face earlier and the others she had met. "Yes, and you're not one."

Memories of a similar conversation in the great hall of the Dark Castle flashed through his mind but he resolutely pushed them away. "Perhaps someday I will show you my face."

"I would like that."

The sincerity in her voice was nearly his undoing and Rumpelstiltskin felt trapped in the tiny room. He repeated a mantra silently to convince himself that no matter the similarities, this was not his Belle and she would never accept him. No one could love a monster and that was all he was, if anything, made more so by every lonely century that passed. Without another word, the spinner vanished from the room.

* * *

Try as he might, Rumpelstiltskin couldn't brush away his memories into dark corners as he once had. Everything seemed to remind him of Belle in some way, from the whiff of peach tarts in the street or the way a stranger's hair curled. And no matter how many times he told himself that the young woman he saw was not his lost love, his heart longed to return to her. Eventually, he accepted that he desired to see her again and appeared invisibly at her side.

Rumpelstiltskin would watch the woman attend lessons during the day and play with the younger students in the afternoons. But the oddity of the situation still bothered the imp until he finally realized what was wrong. Every child held their lunches close and ate as if their meals would be taken away at a moment's notice. A bit more observing and the sorcerer discovered that his Belle did more than read bedtime stories to the littlest ones, she was sneaking them any food she managed to smuggle away.

The imp smiled, unseen. Time had not changed Belle and she was still as good and kindhearted as when he first laid eyes on her. He was even jealous, remembering when she took such care with him. Rumpelstiltskin realized just how much he missed her quiet company and unwavering belief that he was good. A silent smirk graced his lips as he realized he hadn't been at all evil in his hidden centuries. Belle would be so proud of him if she knew.

Thoughts of how to reveal himself to the brunette distracted the powerful being from the events unfolding before him. Taking in the piece of bread lying crushed in front of a young girl and the large man twisting not-Belle's arm behind her back, Rumpelstiltskin's heart fell. She had finally been caught passing food to a youngster. Another apparent heart attack would be suspicious and the young woman was in no danger of being hurt at the moment, so the imp followed silently.

Sorcerer and woman realized where the brutish man was taking her at the same moment. Snow swirled as the manor's front door was pulled open and the pair set off across the grounds, one less willing than the other. The collar closed around her neck with a click muffled by the heavily falling snow and the man chuckled ominously as he shoved the brunette to the ground.

"Bad girls get to stay in the doghouse. Try not to freeze to death."

Rumpelstiltskin was proud that Belle didn't try to plead for mercy, but he was well aware that the temperature was far too low for her nightclothes alone. As the man turned his back on the young woman, the hidden imp flicked his hand towards the tiny box that served as shelter.


	4. Shared Pasts

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

Shared Pasts

The brunette cursed herself for getting caught but didn't dwell on her punishment. She knew that if she wanted to survive the bitter winter night, crawling into the doghouse was the only option. For one delirious moment she considered remaining where she was in the rapidly drifting snow and letting them find her in the morning. Maybe then, her father would regret ever sending her to this place. But as quickly as she imagined the stoic look on her father's face as he gazed down on her frozen body, she knew she couldn't do such a selfish thing. Before her clothes could become even more soddened, the young woman slipped inside the cramped shelter.

But rather than being greeted by more chilled air, the space was pleasantly warm. She quickly settled into a comfortable position and considered her predicament. While she was not an expert in thermodynamics, the brunette knew that the warm air could only be explained by something more than science. Which in turn meant that she was not alone.

"Thank you, Rumpelstiltskin."

For a long time there was no response, so the young woman pillowed her head on her arm and closed her eyes until a soft voice drifted through the doorway. "Why do you stay here?"

"Because there's no way to leave." The kindhearted brunette shifted so she could catch a glimpse of her savior but there was nothing to see.

"But you're of age."

"This isn't just a school. It's an institution."

"I don't understand."

The young woman imagined she could hear someone lightly settle themselves into the snow and told her story. "My father believes that women are only good for cooking, cleaning, and having kids. He arranged for me to marry one of his competitors to merge their businesses and I didn't agree. So he had me committed here until I learn my place."

"But you can't stay here."

"I have to. Where else would I go and who will protect the little ones?"

"But they hurt you."

Even in the warm air, she felt her cheeks flush at the prospect of someone caring about her situation. "Better me than the children."

Rumpelstiltskin was quiet for a moment as if he couldn't quite understand the self sacrifice. "Aren't you afraid?"

"My mother said once to do the brave thing and bravery would follow." She was conflicted by what she had seen of her invisible friend so far. He had done nothing but help her and keep her safe and yet he seemed more afraid of the institution than she was.

"I've never been very good at doing the brave thing."

"Is that what you're looking for, your bravery?" The words tumbled from her lips without being entirely sure why she said it. In the stories she had read, Rumpelstiltskin was looking for his son, but there was no proof that this was the same person.

"No." The word was hard and final and the brunette didn't dare break the silence that had fallen for a long moment.

When she finally did speak again, it was a whisper, almost lost among the snowflakes. "Who was she?"

"Who?" Rumpelstiltskin cringed unseen at the slight waver to his voice.

"Belle."

His tongue seemed to have lodged itself to the roof of his mouth and it took a concentrated effort to loosen it. "She was a princess. The most kind and beautiful I have ever seen."

"Did she know you loved her?"

"Yes."

"What happened to her?"

Even as he opened his mouth to answer, the imp tried to force down the truth, to no avail. "I sent her away, and then she died."

"I'm so sorry. Will you tell me about her?"

Rumpelstiltskin had no right to burden this effervescent woman with the mournful tail of his lost love, but her earnest request could not go unfulfilled. The spinner picked up the story where the book had left off, sparing no detail of their ill fated relationship and not-Belle listened. She did not judge the sorcerer for his faults or his misguided cruelty. All she saw was his humanity even after it had been stripped away a millenia ago.

The brunette understood in the deepest parts of herself the challenges the couple had faced. She felt the heartbreak Belle had experienced when she was turned away from Rumpelstiltskin's castle. And as she lay in the magically warmed doghouse listening to how the imp learned of his love's death, the young woman felt the floor shift with vertigo. Without having moved, the ground rushed up to meet her and she expected to feel her bones break beneath her skin but at the moment of impact, the floor righted itself.

Rumpelstiltskin eventually ran out of words and lapsed into silence. He half expected the young woman to revile him for his evilness or at the very least berate him for his stupidity in making Belle leave. But after several heartbeats and no response, the sorcerer peeked into the small shelter. The brunette's eyes were closed and her breaths deep. Part of the imp hoped she had slept through all of his story and she would never know his despicable past, but another part meekly pointed out that if anyone could forgive his actions, it was the woman sleeping quietly surrounded by his magic. Feeling as close to peaceful as he ever experienced, he sat perfectly still and made sure the brunette didn't feel the winter chill as she slept.


	5. Lost Again

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

Lost Again

After a handful of weeks, the spinner returned to the incarcerated woman. She sat quietly on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall as if waiting for him to appear. But before the sorcerer could reveal his presence and greet not-Belle, she spoke.

"Rumple? You finally came back."

"I wasn't sure if I should." Unseen, he let the pleasure at hearing the diminutive of his name cross his face.

For the first time the brunette didn't try to find him with her eyes but rather continued gazing unfocused at the bare wall as if she could see something that wasn't there. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

The question instantly put him on guard but he answered truthfully. "Perhaps once, but all of the magic is gone from this world."

"I remember you."

A chill crawled down the Dark One's spine at the hollow tone to her voice and he tried to lighten the conversation. "I should hope you haven't forgotten me already."

"Belle didn't die falling from the tower."

"What?" Air seemed to be harder to find as the brunette made less sense with each word.

Not-Belle suddenly looked straight at the imp, eyes blazing. "She was kept as a prisoner until she wasted away from old age."

"Stop it." He was riveted where he was as the brunette stood from the bed.

"She called to you but you never came." Gracefully, she stalked forward until she was inches away.

"Why would you say that?"

"She died alone because you didn't save her." Confusion wared with mania behind the brunette's eyes as memories better left buried welled up.

"No, Regina killed her to punish me!"

Calm descended on the room and the brunette raised her hand to lay gently against the spinner's cheek. "Why didn't you come for me, Rumpelstiltskin?"

The spinner recognized his long lost love, could see the misery and regret for their stolen time and wanted nothing more than to kiss away the pain of their long parting. He hoped that this was another chance to write a happy ending to their story. But before the imp could find the words to tell Belle, her brow wrinkled and her eyes rolled up in her head. Rumpelstiltskin could only catch the brunette as she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Fire burned across Belle's skin, scorching the spinner's hand as he tried to wake her but she didn't respond. Rumpelstiltskin forced his panic down and reached out with his limited magic to feel for the cause of his love's collapse. All he could sense was the fever rapidly rising. Movement outside of the room alerted the sorcerer that someone must have heard their voices and come to investigate. At a loss for what to do, the Dark One let Belle slip gently to the floor and hid himself in shadow.

Rumpelstiltskin watched as a brute of a man entered the room and rushed to the unconscious brunette's side, feeling for a pulse. He was helpless as the guard called for assistance and Belle was surrounded by people who looked like they knew more about healing than the magician. Before very many minutes slipped past, the strangers lifted the young woman onto a stretcher and carried her out of the room.

The spinner followed blindly, unwilling to have his love returned only to lose her again the same night. Eventually, Belle was deposited in what he could only assume was a place of healing and white clothed people poked and prodded the brunette for hours. Rumpelstiltskin wanted answers but when one of the healers spoke to a severely dressed woman in the hall, they sounded at a loss for treatment.

Morning dawned and a weak ray of light tried to find its way into the quiet room but a dense patch of shadow lurked next to the bed. Rumpelstiltskin gazed down on his love and wished with all his might that he still had the power to save her but he was weak and had never been very adept at healing. He knew that whatever had allowed her to remember their past together was draining the life out of the brunette.

The thought of losing Belle again made the lonely pain of centuries seem like nothing more than a bad dream. Surely the death of the kind young woman would break him in ways he had only imagined before. But he had never been accused of being stupid. There was always a way to undo what had been done. If the memories were what was killing Belle, Rumpelstiltskin would have to remove them.

Still unseen, the sorcerer leaned down to brush his lips across Belle's brow. He could let her go if it meant she would live. After all, she deserved a full life, a future with someone that would care for her and give her a home. The spinner knew he could never give her those things. This would be kinder, he repeated to himself, calling up the necessary power. Belle could never miss what she couldn't remember.

Rumpelstiltskin gently separated the memories of their past from her mind, washing away the pain and regret to leave only love and happiness. He stood for a moment longer, letting his fingers caress her dark hair until he could sense her strength beginning to return. Satisfied that his love would survive, the spinner passed through shadow.


	6. Third Time's The Charm

Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

This fic is basically a Reincarnation AU where the Dark Curse was never completed.

* * *

Third Time's The Charm

Rumpelstiltskin returned to the search for his son as if he had never left. He refused to think about Belle and how close he had come to having her back in his life. The 'what if's' would have overwhelmed him and there was nothing he could change now so he skulked in shadows and searched countless faces until the passage of time was akin to static in the background. Eventually, the Dark One was just a wisp of memory and the imp was gone. All that was left was the spinner.

* * *

Despite the doctor's grim prognosis, Belle recovered. However, she was a changed woman. She constantly felt as if something important was missing but she couldn't remember what it was. The brunette returned to her father and agreed to marry the man he chose in order to escape the institution and the cruelty she suffered there. After all, her future husband couldn't be any worse.

Still plagued by wrongness, the young woman ignored the intermittent feeling of being watched in favor of planning her wedding. Garrett was satisfied to let Belle have her way with the wedding, but as soon as the couple returned home, things changed. He made it clear that she existed only for his comfort and pleasure and while he wasn't cruel, neither was he the warm, loving husband the brunette had hoped for.

The young woman accepted her lot in life and struggled to make the best of it. A struggle that became more bearable when her son was born. Neal was the one bright spot in days otherwise filled with boredom and regret. Belle spent hours playing with the boy and sharing the limited delights Garrett allowed them, all the while telling herself that she hadn't missed out on something she couldn't remember.

5 long years into their loveless marriage and Belle was again pregnant. She wished vainly for a husband she could actually love but settled for a new story to read to Neal. The sensation of deja vu had been as constant of a companion as her son so she ignored the feeling of familiarity when she opened the book of children's tales. As she read however, the brunette couldn't help but wonder if she had read the story before. Something about the princess that gave up her freedom for the safety of her kingdom tickled the back of her mind but she pushed it away in favor of reading to Neal.

But even after the story was finished and her son snuffled peacefully in his sleep, Belle kept turning the story over in her head. It was like a recently lost tooth that she couldn't help prodding at. Eventually the brunette managed to fall asleep only to be swept up in strange dreams of a massive castle and an impish man. When Belle awoke, the feeling of missing or forgetting something was stronger than ever before.

Neal begged for the same story every night for weeks and so the brunette read it aloud until she could practically recite it from memory. And after her son fell asleep, Belle was pulled into fantastically realistic dreams that always seemed to play out the same way. A woman left her home and fell in love with a man that everyone considered a monster, only to be taken away by the real villain. Only the dreams didn't seem to be completely finished before she woke up.

One evening, while reading to Neal, Belle had a delirious thought. What if Rumpelstiltskin could actually help desperate people. It was absurd, but pregnancy, loss of sleep, and the odd dreams made the young woman just a little bit hopeful so she closed her eyes and wished his name. When she opened her eyes again, nothing had changed and she silently berated her childish tendencies before finishing the story for Neal.

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes in the nothingness between worlds and fought the desire to look in on Belle again. Every time he watched her from the shadows, he had to turn away from her perfect life. It had been too painful seeing her wedding and then the birth of her son, and a hundred other random moments. The spinner hated her life because he could never be a part of it and yet he was immensely grateful that she was safe and happy. But the other part of him argued that a lot could have changed since he last saw his lost love, he really needed to check in on her again, just to make sure. As the crippled sorcerer prepared to pass through shadow to reach the brunette, the barest gentle caress touched him as his name was called. Hoping against hope, Rumpelstiltskin followed the call.

When he arrived unseen in a dark corner, the spinner was both relieved and crushed. Belle reclined on a child's bed to read a bedtime story to a young boy while slowly stroking her rounded belly. It was a balm to his tormented soul to see her content with her growing family, but it also tore him to shreds that it wasn't his family. Rumpelstiltskin watched the pair until the boy yawned and turned more comfortably on his pillow. As he caught sight of the boy's face, the spinner was sure he had to be dreaming. But without a doubt, the small face was the same as his long lost son, Baelfire.

Leaning hard on his staff, the sorcerer tried to explain the impossible situation but gave up to stare hopefully at his son, reincarnated as Belle had been. There was still hope for the Dark One to have his family, but first, he had to find some way to awaken their memories without the risk of losing them. One last look at mother and son and Rumpelstiltskin vanished as if he had never been to start a new search.


End file.
